Motherwell 1-0 Dundee United

• Motherwell win first game under Kenny Black

• Well end run of five straight defeats

• United miss chance to stretch Premiership lead

• Well move above St Mirren into 10th

• Well end United's run of four wins at Fir Park

Iain Vigurs's strike was enough to defeat leaders Dundee United in Motherwell's first game since the resignation of manager Stuart McCall.

But United will wonder how they squandered this chance to stretch four points clear of Hamilton Academical.

Led by impressive 19-year-old Aidan Connolly, they tormented the home defence until Vigurs found the net with a low drive shortly after the break.

And Well protected their lead to end a run of five straight defeats.

As United's run of four successive victories at Fir Park came to an end, the home side moved above St Mirren into 10th place and, perhaps more crucially, five points clear of bottom side Ross County.

The minute's silence for Remembrance Day was observed impeccably while some Motherwell fans held up banners hailing the achievements of McCall, who resigned on Sunday.

Caretaker boss Kenny Black's first selection showed two changes from McCall's last, with Craig Reid and Mark O'Brien coming into defence in place of the dropped Zaine Francis-Angol and the injured Stevie Hammell.

Motherwell began with a confident bravado that contrasted with the listlessness that so frustrated the former Scotland midfielder that he tendered his resignation at the weekend.

Motherwell fans held banners listing the achievements of former manager Stuart McCall

However, the nimble forward play of Connolly, Blair Spittal, Chris Erskine and Ryan Dow gradually put the visitors on the ascendency as Well uncertainty returned.

Last-ditch Stephen McManus challenges were needed to deny Dow and Conor Townsend in front of goal then a looping Jaroslaw Fojut header brushed the far upright.

After Vigurs squandered a sight at goal, goalkeeper Dan Twardzik was Motherwell's star for the rest of the first half as he rushed out to force Spittal to poke just wide then thwarted drives from Erskine and Connolly.

When Connolly finally weaved a path past the Czech, the teenager was wrongly flagged for offside by assistant referee Kylie McMullan before firing off the post with the empty goal beckoning.

That same upright came to United's rescue shortly after the break as Radoslaw Cierzniak pushed a low Reid shot into the path of Lionel Ainsworth, who fired off the post and across the face of goal.

United were again exposed down their right seconds later and this time Vigurs's low drive evaded the reach of the Polish goalkeeper.

Well, suddenly looking more like the side who finished second in the top flight last season, ought to have been further ahead when Ainsworth beat the offside trap and flicked past Cierzniak only for McMullan's wayward flag to rule out another goal.

Townsend headed United's best two chances over the crossbar and Motherwell's Henrik Ojamaa was denied in the dying seconds by Cierzniak.

Kenny Black took charge after the resignation of Motherwell manager Stuart McCall

Iain Vigurs missed a good chance in the first half but finally hit the net after the break

Lionel Ainsworth looked to have put Motherwell 2-0 ahead but was ruled offside

Dundee United manager Jackie McNamara was left to ponder missed chances